In this post I would like to give some Scriptures that, to me, demonstrate what I've called this seamless tapestry between the written Word, the Scriptures, and the prophetic word. One is communicated on stone tablets or on the black and white of written letters on pages of a scroll or book. The other comes through less tangible means, but is equally real and equally authoritative and powerful. We can try and tease the two apart by saying the Scriptures are given to establish doctrine while prophecy is intended to be limited to specific times, circumstances and strategies. But what the two have in common is that they both are direct communications from God to us and they both require faith to receive. I don't have the intellectual gift to be a theologian or a Bible expositor to be able to get into all the intricacies of this matter. But I simply want to bring to your attention the following Scriptures and ask you to consider the possibility that Scripture and prophecy must be held together, not separately.
Man does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from [present tense] the mouth
of the LORD. (Deut.8:3c)
You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him, and keep his commandments and obey
his voice . . . (Deut.13:4a)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)
You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.
These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (Jn. 5:39)
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has spoken to to us by his Son . . . (Hebrews 1:1)
What I love about that last Scripture is that it shows how the movement of God toward us is one of increasing intimacy. And that is precisely why I have appreciated prophecy so much. Prophecy says to me that God is a personal God who loves me enough to communicate in the most personal and intimate of ways. When Jesus prepared his disciples for his having to leave them and return to heaven, he didn't say that he would send them the Bible to comfort them and be their guide. No - they already had the Scriptures! He promised them something much more intimate and personal, but just as authoritative - his presence, in the form of the Holy Spirit. Could we be led astray by "just following the Spirit"? Sure! Just like we could be led astray by just following Scripture (prime example: Pharisees). My point is, we need both. Scripture tells us that truth is established by at least two witnesses. We need the Bible and the Spirit - words on paper as well as revelation that comes by less tangible but equally real means.
I recently heard it said that the rock on which Jesus would build his church was the revelation of the Father. After Peter made his famous confession of Jesus being the Christ, Jesus tells him that flesh and blood did not reveal this to him, but rather the Father did. All the other "rocks" that Christians have argued that Jesus was going to build his church on cannot stand without this revelation of the Father to an individual's heart. And that is the essence of prophecy: God speaking, through his Spirit, directly to us, without the need of the Bible or a church authority. Prophecy is the sine qua non ("without which not") of the Bible and church authority. You can't have either of these without prophecy, but you can have prophecy without the Bible or church authority. God was speaking to anyone who wanted to listen to Him generations before the Bible was ever written (consider Enoch, Noah and Job) and He was obviously speaking during the time of the Scriptures. He is still speaking today to any and all who have a love for the truth. If it sounds like I am putting down either the Scriptures or proper Church authority I would say that I'm only wanting to put them in their proper place, which I believe is also the witness of Scripture and the apostles.
The Word became flesh . . . full of grace and truth . . . and from his fullness have we all
received grace upon grace. (John 1:14,16)
". . . the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it."
(Deut. 30:14)
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